"well, if you check Dictionary.com there's an "Audio" button you can click on for pronunciation help. it is pronounced "DIME" just like the present day coin we all know and love, so that renders all the French-Redbook and other connections as meaningless."
Interesting. I was not aware that Dictionary.com was the ultimate authority.
If we remember that we are talking about a 200+ year old coin, then we should also be concerned with the 200+ year old pronunciation. The coin is archaic, and so would be the pronunciation of the word. Modern dictionaries reflect current social convention and usage, and are always changing, always adding new words, and even pronunciations. But for an old and historic concept such as the 1792 half disme, it is perhaps preferable (and evidently more widely acceptable, if this forum is any indicator) to use the older pronunciation - deem.
They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
<< <i>"well, if you check Dictionary.com there's an "Audio" button you can click on for pronunciation help. it is pronounced "DIME" just like the present day coin we all know and love, so that renders all the French-Redbook and other connections as meaningless."
Interesting. I was not aware that Dictionary.com was the ultimate authority.
If we remember that we are talking about a 200+ year old coin, then we should also be concerned with the 200+ year old pronunciation. The coin is archaic, and so would be the pronunciation of the word. Modern dictionaries reflect current social convention and usage, and are always changing, always adding new words, and even pronunciations. But for an old and historic concept such as the 1792 half disme, it is perhaps preferable (and evidently more widely acceptable, if this forum is any indicator) to use the older pronunciation - deem. >>
but, but, but...if it's on the internet, it MUST be true!
Disme is pronounced "Deem" if you are talking to someone who owns one or knows a lot about them; if you are talking to a novice, you might pronounce it "Diz-Mee" just so they understand you. Which is sort of like how...
Porsche is pronounced "Por-Sha" if you are talking to someone who owns one or knows a lot about them; if you are talking to a novice, you might pronounce it "Porsh" just so they understand you. Which is sort of like how...
Bjork is pronounced "B-yerk" if you are talking to someone who knows her or knows a lot about her or is from Iceland; if you are talking to a anyone else you might pronounce it "B-York" just so they understand you.
dictionary.com or merriam-webster.com, take your pick, they both "sound" the same pronunciation. really, who would you trust, them or a bunch of coingeeks that can't agree on anything??? it isn't even close, but if you want to sound stupid and pretend you're right you can call it a deem or a dis-me.....................chances are the guy you're talking to will be just as confused on the subject as you and he'll trust you know what you're talking about if you say it confidently.
i just don't understand why a bunch of otherwise very intelligent fellows insist on being wrong and perpetuating some type of NumisMyth. let's face it, back when the subject coin was struck and America was coming into her own and forming a unique identity, we took much of the old and made it new, changing the English language to meet our needs and giving birth to American. it's still taught in our schools as "English" but that isn't what it is.
now, please excuse me..............i have just been bailed out of gaol and i'm headed to the local coin shoppe to buy me some dismes!!!
MrHalf dis-me or deem---since you are the authority on the topic, when exactly did the pronounciation change from deem to dime and please link me your reference from 1792 which tells us how it was pronounced back then. i have no proof, but my assumption is that the spelling just followed convention while the speaking ran afoul of it and was dime.
"MrHalf dis-me or deem---since you are the authority on the topic, when exactly did the pronounciation change from deem to dime and please link me your reference from 1792 which tells us how it was pronounced back then."
I am trying to do precisely that, but it might take me a while. What I ran across several years ago was a stanza of period poetry in which the word "disme" was used, and it rhymed with a word on another line rhyming with "deem". This reinforced the pronunciation in my mind, at least for that period in history. When I find it I will post it here.
I have no doubt that Dictionary.com uses the "dime" pronunciation today, although I hardly consider them to be the authority on such issues. One step better than Wikipedia, I suppose. I am also reminded, however, that, contrary to your own very narrow definition or opinion, there can be, and often are, several acceptable pronunciations for a given word. I would be very hesitant to look up just one source, see an opinion that agrees with my own, and instantly declare all other opinions on the matter as "meaningless" or "ignorant". You may want to consider whose ignorance you are exposing.
Oh, and my forum name is Mr. Half Dime if you please, for the issues of 1794-1873; I do not yet own an example of the 1792 half disme.
They that can give up essential Liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin
interesting link that gives us a perspective back to 1828. everything i've found in a limited search tends to show the two spellings disme and dime as alternate forms of the same thing, the former simply the Old English and the latter from the present day.
thanks for the link, Frank. i had been searching in a similar fashion with the hope of finding the closestreference to 1792, ready to accept my "ignorance" if that was the case.
looking in The U.S. Mint and Coinage by Don Taxay i find a reference on page 66 wherein he says "Disme(pronounced dime)" and all references to Disme in the Index say to see dime.
Comments
Interesting. I was not aware that Dictionary.com was the ultimate authority.
If we remember that we are talking about a 200+ year old coin, then we should also be concerned with the 200+ year old pronunciation. The coin is archaic, and so would be the pronunciation of the word. Modern dictionaries reflect current social convention and usage, and are always changing, always adding new words, and even pronunciations. But for an old and historic concept such as the 1792 half disme, it is perhaps preferable (and evidently more widely acceptable, if this forum is any indicator) to use the older pronunciation - deem.
<< <i>"well, if you check Dictionary.com there's an "Audio" button you can click on for pronunciation help. it is pronounced "DIME" just like the present day coin we all know and love, so that renders all the French-Redbook and other connections as meaningless."
Interesting. I was not aware that Dictionary.com was the ultimate authority.
If we remember that we are talking about a 200+ year old coin, then we should also be concerned with the 200+ year old pronunciation. The coin is archaic, and so would be the pronunciation of the word. Modern dictionaries reflect current social convention and usage, and are always changing, always adding new words, and even pronunciations. But for an old and historic concept such as the 1792 half disme, it is perhaps preferable (and evidently more widely acceptable, if this forum is any indicator) to use the older pronunciation - deem. >>
but, but, but...if it's on the internet, it MUST be true!
Porsche is pronounced "Por-Sha" if you are talking to someone who owns one or knows a lot about them; if you are talking to a novice, you might pronounce it "Porsh" just so they understand you. Which is sort of like how...
Bjork is pronounced "B-yerk" if you are talking to someone who knows her or knows a lot about her or is from Iceland; if you are talking to a anyone else you might pronounce it "B-York" just so they understand you.
>>>My Collection
i just don't understand why a bunch of otherwise very intelligent fellows insist on being wrong and perpetuating some type of NumisMyth. let's face it, back when the subject coin was struck and America was coming into her own and forming a unique identity, we took much of the old and made it new, changing the English language to meet our needs and giving birth to American. it's still taught in our schools as "English" but that isn't what it is.
now, please excuse me..............i have just been bailed out of gaol and i'm headed to the local coin shoppe to buy me some dismes!!!
MrHalf dis-me or deem---since you are the authority on the topic, when exactly did the pronounciation change from deem to dime and please link me your reference from 1792 which tells us how it was pronounced back then. i have no proof, but my assumption is that the spelling just followed convention while the speaking ran afoul of it and was dime.
QDB wrote that it was pronounced deem at the time of issue. Have no idea his reference for such.
I always use dime, as in "can I see your 1792 half dime". I've had no problems buying or selling them this way.
Love the Porsche reference; reminded me of the line I've quoted from the movie "Middle Age Crazy".
K
My 1866 Philly Mint Set
I am trying to do precisely that, but it might take me a while. What I ran across several years ago was a stanza of period poetry in which the word "disme" was used, and it rhymed with a word on another line rhyming with "deem". This reinforced the pronunciation in my mind, at least for that period in history. When I find it I will post it here.
I have no doubt that Dictionary.com uses the "dime" pronunciation today, although I hardly consider them to be the authority on such issues. One step better than Wikipedia, I suppose. I am also reminded, however, that, contrary to your own very narrow definition or opinion, there can be, and often are, several acceptable pronunciations for a given word. I would be very hesitant to look up just one source, see an opinion that agrees with my own, and instantly declare all other opinions on the matter as "meaningless" or "ignorant". You may want to consider whose ignorance you are exposing.
Oh, and my forum name is Mr. Half Dime if you please, for the issues of 1794-1873; I do not yet own an example of the 1792 half disme.
so sad...so very sad...
Go to Early United States Coins - to order the New "Early United States Half Dollar Vol. 1 / 1794-1807" book or the 1st new Bust Quarter book!
http://1828.mshaffer.com/
Affirmative!
thanks for the link, Frank. i had been searching in a similar fashion with the hope of finding the closestreference to 1792, ready to accept my "ignorance" if that was the case.
interesting.........................